, ladies and gentlemen, is robert e lee in the postwar years. Teague, askedhuck a this was going to be beatification, did i get that right . And never hit me, but i guess it might, in a way, because i am a fan of robert e lee. Besides giving you a timeline of did in the e. Lee postwar years, and overlooked area of his life, the other main theme i am going to try to get across to you, the park service is that ithemes, wouldnt say he did a lot of work, but his own personal example is probably the best way. Through his own personal example, robert e. Lee tries to reconcile the nation. What a lot of us have forgotten is how far apart the country was in 1865. It is the view of a lot of people that lee surrenders at appomattox and, bam, we will forget about it. We will hold hands and just reunite and continue down that path. Decades,the country some say a century, some say not even yet, for the country to really reunite. I would put the country seriously coming back together in the same vein as the spanishamerican war, when we had a common enemy once again instead of each other. But that would be roughly 30 years after the end of the civil war. Robert e. Lee does not live that long. He is only going to live for five years. But you think about who symbolized the confederacy coming out of the civil war, and to the southerners were going to emulate. Then put your shoes then put yourself in the shoes of the man himself. When you are robert e. Lee, everything you do is under a microscope. And you know he hated that, the crowds, everything else. On april 9, 18s 65. He surrenders to general grant. Lee is greatly surprised by the terms he gets from u. S. Grant. Grant could have imposed harsh terms, and ulysses s grants manner iss often overlooked. Has to stick lee around at appomattox for a few days, he is an Army Commander and tester shore up paperwork. In three days after he surrenders, april 12, he sets out riding traveler, his famous horse. Redays later he is going to make his way to richmond come of three days later he is going to make his way back to richmond, virginia, and this is the site he beholds. He did not see this personally, but confederates set the town on fire when they were evacuating when richmond fell. Look at those charred ruins. That is the Virginia State capital, the old capital of the confederacy in the middle. 15,e days later, april robert he lee pulls up to the james river and is quick to look across at a scene of desolation. He is not going to have a big cavalcade, knuckling to have a lot of people, he is going to have one staff officer, he has a son, he has one wagon behind him that is actively stamped u. S. On the side, because it served as hes headquarters wagon for his serves asage his headquarters wagon for his personal baggage. Main street and turns onto franklin street in richmond, and literally they will come up to the front of the franklin street. Believe it or not, the fire that engulfed richmond had come up to the house right next door, but that one had been saved. Wanting tohered, icon, wanted to touch his boot. Can you imagine us doing that today . Ever since, well, you know who died in 1977. Horse,ee gets off his bows gravely, then walks inside that front door right there. And this is a scene which i dont have any record of, and is one i have always been curious about. Robert e lim oz those eight steps leading into the house those eighte mounts steps leading into the house, bows graciously, and he still has his uniform on. That will be the last time, i suppose, in his official capacity, he will put it back on four pictures in a day or two, but that will be in his last asacity as a shoulder a a soldier. When he walked through the front door, what went through his mind . Ever thought about that . His daughters, he had children ranging from 19 to 32 years of age at the time, and they were always a close family, always somebody he could turn to and be himself. I wonder what he said to mary . Did he express regret . Did he say anything . Did he cry . At some point, every soldier has to look back at what they have done. From privates to generals to lieutenants to capt ains, everybody looks back on decisions they have made. And i wonder when he came home that day, what he thought. Is trying to get his thoughts back together, none other than famous civil war photographer Matthew Brady is going to call on him. I will go through some pictures. Actor, which you have seen croft and blown up and color is always sideways, is alwaysthat picture chosen for a reason. Because the picture sums up robert ely at this point in his life. While he is in this franklin street house, and going on the next few weeks, you can only imagine the people coming by to call upon lee. Some autograph seekers, some just wanting to see him, friends, acquaintances, george e does not want to see these people. It is the last thing he wants to do. Ustis, to your left, custis answers the door and there is a ragged old confederate soldier there. The soldier has got his arm in a sling. Custis, i would like to see generally, and he says, the general is not receiving. At he says, i am from texas and like to see the number life followed on so many campaigns. He is standing there in rags and probably stinking to high heaven if the truth was known. I will see what i can do, and allows him into the house. Lee is upstairs. Show the soldier in. The texan sits down. A few moments later, here comes robert e. Lee. He must have had his own certain t, because they recognized it. Lee bows graciously to the people in the room and then extends his hand and walks over to the texan, this private. The texan extends his hand and they embracing a handshake, looked at him, and the soldier cant say anything. He just cant say anything. Not one word comes out of his mouth. Holding leestill hands, he bursts into tears, this veteran of four years in the war. He bursts and the tears and after a few moments, he just walks out the door. Tears, and after a few minutes he just walks out the door. Nobody said anything. Lee bowed graciously to the ground and walked back up the stairs. Emotion youtype of are dealing with coming out of appomattox. You are talking about a people that have just lost their hopes for a nation. And who defined that . That man right there. That is why the civil war ends, folks, when robert e. Lee surrendered, because he is the definition of the confederacy. Matthew brady called and he took these pictures. The only reason that the sits or stands for these pictures is because, at first he rebuffed rating brady. What did brady do . Wasent to leas boss, which , his wife. That is right. [laughter] told the general to get dressed. Lee came down with his son and his staff officer and he said, mr. Brady, we are ready for you. You canou look closely, see the stand behind lee that holds his head in place. That is how you got him to stand still. You keep your head and you cant see the rest of it going up his back right there. He captured these right here. Not especially my favorite. This is not the appomattox uniform, it must be one of his field uniforms, it looks in very good shape, hardly worn. [laughter] forgot theually i picture was in the queue. [applause] [laughter] is actually a previously unreleased photograph of my ancestor. Did that for rich me as a joke one day, and i have had it on my door ever since. What is the situation on may 29, 1865 . President johnson offers general amnesty to all former confederates who signed an oath of allegiance, but excludes all who held civil office in the government and people with a value of over 20,000. On june 7, 1865, lee is indicted for treason. June 13, lee encloses in a letter to general grant his application for a pardon. Ready toion is, i am meet any charges that may be preferred against me and wished to avoid trial, but if i am granted parole and dem not to be prosecuted, i desire to comply with the provisions of the president s proclamation. The requirednclose application. Oath, not sign the because word of this requirement had not reached virginia. Grant immediately requested all indictments the squashed and the pardon be granted. Prosecutors halted the proceedings against robert e. Lee, but did not formally dismissed charges. No pardon would be forthcoming from president johnson either. This is what we know now, but lee did not know that. So to add to lees woes, had the in june 1865 he sword of damocles over his head, but doesnt know if he is going to be indicted anytime soon. Could be any moment. In asking for this pardon, is probably in southerners eyes in the most controversial act of his life. He is, in that pardon, admitting thession, the creation of confederacy and fighting against the nordion against the northern invasion were all wrong. So by admitting that, to say the least, he is not making any friends. Thousands,r tens of and we said th theme was example, that maybe they should apply for a pardon and restore their rights in a manner the government would never give the general. Hisain george wise, holding oath in his hand, said, my parole covers it and i do not think it should be required. What would you advise . I advise that you take it, lee responded. General, this is an indignity lets swear the same thing at every street corner. I will seek a country where i can preserve my selfrespect. Do not leave virginia, lee said in a sad voice, our country needs her young men now. Young wise did take the oath and when he informed his father, his father exclaimed, you have disgraced the family. Some responded, generally advised me to do it. Oh, that alters the case. [laughter] whatever general lee says is alright. I dont care what it is. I want you to think about something as i start to read this part. What willu know things this represents. This is Washington College in lexington, virginia. I want you to think about something as i get into it. If you are robert e. Lee, what would you do after the war . I dont know if there is a right or a wrong answer, what do you do . College itself, it had been heavily damaged in the war. The library had been scattered, federal soldiers were using buildings for barracks, the college have been kept open as a prep school and in 1865 it only our faculty. Trustees were meeting on august 4, 18 65, to elect a new president. Stood the vote, a member and said he had heard mary lee, dr. Of the general, said the south stood give lee anything but what he wanted, a way to make an honest living. Later, lee had been unanimously elected president. A pause andwas silence prevailed for some moments. The board seemed depressed of the gravity with the gravity of the situation and seemed to think they acted rashly and seemed very presumptive to elect lee the head of a broken down nevertheless, a letter was drafted and that judge was urged was sent to urge the gent was sent to urge the general to accept. The judge looked at his close and realized he did not have any fitting to call on generally. He borrowed a suit. Money, with aed borrowed suit, they obtained transportation. And that is the way he called livingneral lee, who was , to be thehmond president of this college. After urging from friends, is going to accept the presidency on august 31. This is how he accepts it, though. Lee pointed out in his letter taking the job that he had not and pardoned yet. He was also explicit and what his political views might be. Everyk it is the duty of citizen in the present condition of the country to do all his all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony and in no way to oppose the state. Bent to set the young an example of submission to authority. Appomattox, lee was urging the healing of all dissension. Lee is inaugurated as president , that is fast, within a month of offering the job. The college opened with 40 students, and another 100 students drifted in by late fall. Meets a student, he is able to remember their name, which is a wonderful gift, if you are a good student. [laughter] arehe second year, there over 400 students, some from outside the south. I like to go off on tangents. One of the neatest things i have weabout robert e. Lee dont write like they did back then, but one of the things i really like about lee is how he would put together letters to parents. If he had a recalcitrant student acting up, lee would usually write three or four paragraphs, and he constructed his sentences this way. First paragraph, johnny is a fantastic kid. He is smart, intelligent, and he can do anything. Paragraph, unfortunately, he is not living up to his abilities. [laughter] third paragraph, i am sure you understand. Respectfully, r. E. Lee. You get the point. Rly, a confederate general, when if is favorite things to do after the the war was to show people lees letter demoting him after the battle of shenandoah. But that is what he has got to deal with. Today, i would think it would be worth being flunked out of school just to get a letter from lee. [laughter] that was just a joke. [laughter] 3. He starts october signs the oath of allegiance to the united states. To washingtonent and landed on the desk of william seward. Apparently thinking the document had been recorded, seward give it to a friend for a souvenir. And it was found in a bundle of oath, 105es amnesty years later. Anybody remember what happened during the Ford Administration . He got his pardon. From gerald ford. He pardoned everybody else. [laughter] come on, that was kind of funny, political joke there. No chevy chase fans here, or anything . [laughter] day, the opened a letter from general beauregard, who asked, what position should i take in relation to defeat . Seeresponded, i am glad to no indication in your letter of an intention to leave the country. The south acquires the aid of her sons now more than any other period in her history. Of abandoningghts her, unless compelled to do so. Lee reviewed his own efforts to regain yes citizenship that regain u. S. Citizenship and concluded with a passage that would be quoted i generations. I need not tell you that true patriotism sometimes requires a man to act exactly contrary at that of another, and the motive that compels them to do right is exactly the same. Circumstances that govern actions changed, and the conduct must conform to the new order of things. History is full of illustrations of this. Washington himself is an example of this. At one time, he fought in the service of the king of Great Britain and that another, he fought with the french at yorktown under the orders of the Continental Congress against england. He has not been branded by the with reproachs fo for this. That is your paradox. That is how property lee justifies his actions of being in the united states, leaving the united states, and coming back into the united states. Are, by this time there race riots in memphis and new orleans. The nation was heating up with Congressional Elections that would turn into a northern referendum on how to treat the vanquished south. Wardent johnson was at with congress. He wished lenient treatment which allowed Southern States back in without rather tying the 14th amendment. Congress wished the south be made to ratify. During this turmoil, lee counseled everybody to stay calm. To misses Jefferson Davis, he wrote, i have taught for the cessation of hostilities, and patients on the part of the wash is the truth course the true course, and i think so still. Early, he wrote, i hate a yankee this day worse than i have ever done and my hatred is it creasing every day. Youve got to love jubal early. You shall have to be patient and suffer for a while at least, and all controversies will provoke bitter feelings, and postpone the reason and postpone the time when reason and charity may resume their sway. Ilot of names on the bottom, was going to have somebody guess them. The south was listening. Harris, postniel g gettysburg, that is why you dont know him for the most part, probably the most famous would bedid spotsylvania courthouse, one of there, and heacks is outside petersburg with hamptons brigade, well worth seeing. Harris would write lee, your great and wise example of retirement in peace and obedience to government that law, we are pursuing on following. All your old men are peacefully trying to build shattered fortunes in the countrys peace and prosperity. January 7, congress looks into acts of impeachment against resident johnson. March 2, federal government passes the reconstruction act. These acts stripped state governments of power and placed the south into five military districts. Congress declares it can change local government without notice. States must ratify the 14th amendment. And one out of every four confederates are excluded from voting, and all africanamericans are included. The real carpetbagger era was beginning. Northerners are elected by blacks, and the governor of virginia is from new york, to give you an example. What does this do to these confederate . These confederates . In time, we will call them very racist. They do not like this situation. A boy with a broken leg who lee was visiting recalled the time. He remembered, he sat still for window ended set still by the window and his face looked so sad as he spoke about the people and is and their private nations and struggles. I cant sleep thinking about it and often feel so weighted down by sorrow that i have to get up that was the only melancholy sentence i ever heard him utter and the only time i saw the heartbroken look on his face. Saider instance a lady that lee, in a moment of being unguarded, she said why do you look so sad . He said im thinking about all the soldiers that died in vain when i knew it was too late. She goes why didnt you Say Something . He said they had to find out for themselves. The ladies and gentlemen is separation between civilian and military authority that makes our government today so unique. Look at any other government out , lee at this time is in jeffersonestify davis treason trial. He was offered amnesty in his trial against davis or face reindictment for treason. Toer the prosecutor tried establish lee only followed orders davis was responsible for, lee doug in his heels. I am responsible for what i did and i cannot now recall any Important Movement i made had i not acted on my own responsibility. You how many times have you seen in your life when somebody puts the squeeze on them, they fold in court . How many of you would have that hanging over your head, the potential indictment would be able to get on a witness stand and self indict yourself . It is a lot. Christmas day, 1868, president johnson sends out a general amnesty to all confederates who had not had their rights restored by previous acts. It was over. Lee and davis would never be tried. Lee was still not a citizen because his application had been misplaced. A couple things on that. Robert ely never votes again. Could you imagine any other revolution that you ever hear about in the world where the ringleaders dont get hung . Were worse. You watch braveheart. Way tos always a better kill somebody. If you think about it right there, Jefferson Davis